1. THE FUTURE OF ENGLISH AS A GLOBAL
LANGUAGE
By dr. Cândida José Arlindo
Universidade Pedagógica

2. OBJECTIVES:
 To present an account of the status of the English
Language in the world and discuss possible future
states of the language.
 To assess the role of the English Language
Teaching professionals in the preservation of the
English language as an important one in the
context of globalization.

3. CRITICAL QUESTIONS
 What are the foundations of language change
and/or language shift?
 How did English became a global language?
 To what extent is the English Language hegemony
assured or in danger?
 What can be a possible future for the English
Language in the world?
 What is the role of ELT professionals?

4. WHAT IS A GLOBAL LANGUAGE?
“A language achieves a genuinely global status when
it develops a special role that is recognized in every
country.”
Crystal (2003:3)

5. FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE LANGUAGE CHANGE
AND/OR LANGUAGE SHIFT
 Economic developments
 Technological innovations
 History
 Demographic shifts
 Socio-geographical mobility
 Material circumstances
 Identity

6. BRIEF HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
The English language belongs to the Germanic branch of
the Indo-European family of languages.
„English‟ comes from the Old English word „Englisc‟,
derived from „Angles‟, the people from Engle.
EVOLUTION
Old English (450 - 1100 AD)
Migration of the Saxon, Angles, and Jutes from
German and Denmark the British Isles. The mixture of
the three dialects originated Old English or Anglo-
Saxon.

7. Middle English (1100 – 1500 AD)
French occupation of Britain. English becomes a
vulgar language. New French-origin words are
added to the English lexicon.
Modern English (1500 - present)
Age of Shakespeare also labelled the Elizabethan
era. Period of the Industrial Revolution, the
invention of the press and the first printing of the
Bible. The Royal Society is founded. It is a critical
period of the spread of the British Empire.

8. THE SPREAD OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE AROUND THE
WORLD
Geo-historical factors
 Spread of the British Empire ( colonial developments in
America, Australia, Asia, and Africa)
 Germany defeat in the World War II
 The foundation of the League of Nations (now UN)
Socio-cultural factors
 Independence of former British colonies and the
adoption, by these, of English as an official language
 Industrial Revolution (scientific publishing; instructional
material for the new inventions; emigration of Britons;
immigration of scientists from outside Britain)

9.  Access to Knowledge
 Popularization of the American culture and its
influence in the world
Economic factors
 The rise of the US as a world leading economy
 The creation of the IMF and the World bank with
great involvement of the US

10. DOMAINS OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
TODAY
 Working language of international organizations
and conferences (e.g. Commonwealth, Council of
Europe, European Union, NATO)
 Scientific Publication
 International banking, economic affairs and trade
 Advertising of global brands
 Audio-visual cultural products
 International tourism
 International law
 Relay language in interpretation and translation
 International communication

11. CHANGING TRENDS IN THE USE OF ENGLISH AS A
WORLD LANGUAGE
 Although still dominant, English is no longer the
sole „language of the internet‟
 Versions of main American computer software‟s are
available in more languages
 International media giants (as the case of CNN,
CBS, and MTV) and transnational companies are
now aiming for localization
 Emergence of new world economies (e.g. China)
 „New Englishes‟
 Emancipation of national languages in countries
around the world

12. ENGLISH IN THE FUTURE: FAIR PREDICTIONS
 Regional lingua franca‟s are used in regional
economic blocks instead of English
 Decline of English importance in technology
transfer
 Antagonism towards the English language
 English does not fit the desires for expression of
identity of speakers of other languages
 English becomes the language of international
relations only.

13.  English becomes less attractive, (in a case where
the US fall, or the sociolinguistic situation of the
country changes.
 „New Englishes‟ become unintelligible and Standard
English dies
 English becomes the only language in the world.
 English continues being a global language.

14. THE ROLE OF ELT PROFESSIONALS
 Teach English not as a superior language, at the expense
of other languages, but as an important language in the
present globalised world.
 Recognise students‟ first language as a symbol of their
identity, as a way of avoiding antagonism towards
English.
 Recognize the importance of English as a lingua franca
that unites, at least currently, people from different
nations.

15. THANK YOU,
for your time and attention.